Fluidizing container and system



Dec. 5, 1967 c. SMITH 3,356,264

FLUIDIZING CONTAINER AND SYSTEM Filed Jan. 25, 1966 2 Sheets-Sheet l FIG.I

Dec. 5, 1967 c. SMITH 3,356,264

FLUIDIZING CONTAINER AND SYSTEM Filed Jan. 25, 1966 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 United States Patent 3,356,264 FLUIDIZING CONTAINER AND SYSTEM Carlowen Smith, Irwin, Pa., assignor, by mesne assignments, to Industrial Pneumatic Systems, Inc., Fairmont, W. Va., a corporation of West Virginia Filed Jan. 25, 1966, Ser. No. 522,889 8 Claims. (Cl. 222-176) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE An airtight pneumatic container for rockdust is constructed of less height than width and is mounted on a rail vehicle for entry into mines, with an outlet in the bottom for air-entrained rockdust and an air inlet to supply air under pressure.

A central opening is provided in the horizontal bottom Wall for discharge of the rockdust entrained in air, a battle over the opening restricting passage of the material above the opening. A porous wall spaced above the bottom wall supports the material, and air introduced into the space passes through this porous wall and entrains the material for discharge through the opening. One or. more baffie members, either porous or solid, slope from the sides of the container toward the outlet opening, and direct the air-entrained material to the opening without need to fluidize all the material in the container. One battle member may be a solid sheet extending from the sides of the container downwardly and inwardly to adjacent the porous wall supporting the pulverulent material, so that air passing from below the sheet baffie attains a relatively high velocity with reduced pressure to entrain the material above the bafile in the air flow. This flow of air with entrained material carries with it the air and material above the porous bottom wall to the discharge opening.

This invention relates to a system for conveying pulverulent material by a current of air, and rockdusting mines with a system of this type.

A principal object of the invention is the construction of a container for delivering pulverulent material fluidized by entraining in a current of gas to provide the most efficient use of the overall dimensions of the container, especially in height.

Another object of the invention is a container and vehicle carrier of low height for rockdusting in mines, with the maximum capacity for the dimensions which are adapted to mine operations.

Another object of the invention is the method of rockdusting by using a pneumatic container with a compressor carried on a vehicle in the mine.

FIGURE 1 shows a carrier with containers in accordance with the invention.

FIGURE 2 shows the cross-section of a container of known shape.

FIGURE 3 shows a cross-section of the container of the present invention.

FIGURES 4, 5 and 6 show a cross-section of modified constructions.

Before this invention, containers for the conveyance of pulverulent materials entrained in air were made high with a small base to avoid the use of excessive volumes of air. As shown in FIGURE 1, the container 1 has a porous wall 2 spaced from the bottom wall 3 of the container to allow an air space for air admitted under pressure by inlet pipe 4. This porous wall 2 was pervious to air which passed into the material in the container and carried material entrained in it out through the outlet 5. The base and the air space were small so that the air would carry the material through the outlet pipe 3,356,264 Patented Dec. 5, 1967 without loss of air. If the container were widened so that it would hold more material, the enlargement of the base and porous wall would require a much larger Volume of air.

The improved system for rockdusting in mines embodies a plurality of pneumatic containers A according to the invention mounted on a vehicle carrier -B. A compressor C furnishes air under pressure to the containers to convey the fluidized rockdust therein through the conduit D, which applies the dust in the mine. The low form of the container of this invention as shown provides for a large volume in the space available for entry into a mine.

By this invention, applicant can use a wide container and thereby convey a much larger volume of material in the same overall dimensions. The container 10 in FIGURE 3 has an end wall extending across substantially the entire width of the container with outlet at 12 in the wall. A baflle 13 across the outlet and spaced from the end wall 11 provides a narrow passage or throat 14 for material carried by air out the outlet at 12.

The material within the container is supported on a porous wall 15 spaced from the wall 11 to form an air space 16 to which air under pressure is admitted through inlet 17 from the compressor C. The porous wall 15, which is pervious to gas, extends from the outlet 12 toward the side wall, and the air filtering through the porous wall carries the material with it through the passage 14 to the outlet and out the conduit D.

The air which passes through the porous wall 15 is directed toward the outlet by baffles spaced from wall 15 as shown at 18 and 19. The baffle 18 is also porous and is spaced from the outlet 12 and bafiie 13, and extends over a major portion of the porous wall 15 adjacent the side Wall of the container. Similarly, the second bafiie 19 extends over only a portion of the battle 18 adjacent the side wall. As indicated by the arrows, these bafiles restrict the passage of the air into the material and direct a larger portion toward the outlet. The currents of air thus resulting entrain the material and convey it through the passage 14 without waste of the air supplied to the space 16.

In a modified form of the invention as illustrated in FIGURE 4, a battle of solid material, such as metal, is positioned at an inclination to the batlle 18 and extends to the wall of the container. This bafile will direct the current of air across the porous ballie 18 and to the passage 14, carrying the pulverulent material with it.

Due to the restricted passage between the porous wall 18 and the sheet bafiie 20, the air passing from the space below the bafile will have relatively high velocity. This causes a low pressure area inwardly of the battle means and results in drawing the material on the sloping bathe into the air stream. This stream of air and entrained material passes over the top surface of the porous Wall 18, carrying with it the material mixed with the air passing upwardly through the porous walls 15 and 18 to discharge the fluidized material through the discharge opening 12.

In the form shown in FIGURE 5, a solid bafile 21 extends from adjacent the porous Wall 15 to the container wall and directs air passing through the outer portion of wall 15 toward the outlet. As in the other forms, the air current will carry the material to the outlet. The air from the space below the sheet baffle 21 attains a high velocity in passing between the inner edge of the sheet balfie and the porous wall 15, to entrain material supported above the bafile, in the same manner as in the construction in FIGURE 4.

In FIGURE 6, the porous wall supporting the material is formed with an inward portion 22 and an outward portion 23 which extends at an angle to portion 22 and into contact with the side wall of the container. A solid bathe 24 is positioned parallel to and spaced from the wall portion 23, so that air passing through portion 23 is directed along the portion of the wall and into the material in both directions. The current directed toward the passage 14 will carry the material in the same manner as those in the other forms of the invention.

Containers of this form are especially advantageous in rockdusting of mines, where the vertical dimensions restrict the height of containers for use in this environment. As examples of containers designed for this operation, a container six feet in diameter with a height of only 31 inches has a capacity of 2,500 pounds of dust, so that two containers, or two pods, can carry 5,000 pounds. An increase of only one inch in height will increase the the capacity of one container by 185 pounds. These containers are set between the side members of the vehicle carrier B as shown, so that the overall height of the unit is only five inches greater than the height of the containers.

The use of pneumatic containers of this low height mounted on a vehicle with a compressor provides an efiicient system of large capacity for dusting of mines, and avoids the difiiculties and ineificiencies of the old hopper operation. These new containers may be quickly filled from storage containers, either outside the mine or through conduits to the inside. A large volume of material is furnished quickly and efliciently for dusting within the mine.

The bailie 13 across the outlet provides the passage 14 so that the air current must pass along the porous wall 15 to carry out the material entrained in the air. Cooperating with this battle, the bafiles spaced from the outlet direct currents of air passing through the porous wall toward the outlet and across the wall to assure the maximum entrainment of material. With materials of some types, the bafiles 13 may be omitted and the other baffles controlling the air currents carrying the entrained material enables the use of containers of wide base and large volume for their vertical dimensions.

While the invention has been particularly shown and described with reference topreferred embodiments thereof, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that the foregoing and other changes in form and details may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. In a system for rockdusting in a mine, a wheeled carrier for entry into a mine, an airtight pneumatic container for pulverulent material on said carrier said container being of less height than its shortest transverse dimension and having an outlet opening through its bottom end wall, a porous wall pervious to gas above said bottom end wall extending outwardly from adjacent said outlet opening to support said pulverulent material, and forming a space with said end wall, and sheet baffie means spaced above said porous wall sloping from the sides of said container toward said outlet opening on opposite sides of said outlet opening and directing air from the space beneath said porous wall between said bafile and porous wall to said outlet with said material entrained therein, means on said carrier to supply air under pressure to said space, said container having an inlet leading to said space and connected to said means to supply air, and a conduit connected to said outlet to direct air entrained material within said mine.

2. A pneumatic, airtight container of less height than its shortest transverse dimension and having a bottom end wall with a vertical outlet opening spaced from the sides of said container, a baflle member inside said container across said outlet and spaced from said wall to leave a restricted passage to said outlet between said bafile member and said wall, a porous wall pervious to gas extending along said end wall from said end wall adjacent said outlet to the sides of said container spaced from said end wall for supporting pulverulent material spaced from said end wall and forming an air space between said walls, said end wall having an inlet opening into said space to supply air under pressure, and baflie means sloping from the sides of said container above said porous wall toward said outlet opening to form a space above said end wall converging from the sides of said container toward said opening to direct air passing through said porous wall along said porous wall and toward said outlet.

3. A pneumatic, airtight container for pulverulent material having a horizontal end and vertical side walls, the end wall having an outlet opening spaced from the sides of said container, a bafiie member inside said container across said outlet and spaced from said end wall to form a restricted passage to said outlet between said bafile and said end wall, a porous wall pervious to gas extending from said end wall adjacent and on opposite sides of said outlet sloping upwardly to said side Wall and supporting pulverulent material in said container and forming with said end wall an air space between said walls, an inlet opening into said space to supply air under pressure, and bafile means positioned on the side of said porous wall opposite said space and spaced from said porous wall and sloping from the side wall downwardly toward said outlet opening, said bafiie means directing air passing through said porous wall along said wall toward said outlet.

4. A pneumatic, airtight container for pulverulent material having end and side walls, the end wall having an outlet opening spaced from the sides of said container, a battle member inside said container across said outlet and spaced from said end wall to form a restricted passage to said outlet between said bafile and said end wall, a porous wall pervious to gas extending from said end wall adjacent said outlet to said side wall and supporting pulverulent material in said container said porous wall diverging from said end wall toward said side wall to form an air space between said walls, an inlet opening into said space to supply air under pressure, and a porous bathe member of less width than said porous wall and extending from said side wall and along and spaced from said porous wall on the side opposite said space, said porous baffie member being spaced from said outlet and directing air passing through said porous wall toward said outlet.

5. A pneumatic container of less height than its shortest transverse dimension, a substantially horizontal bottom end wall having a vertical outlet opening spaced from the sides of the container, a battle member impervious to gas extending horizontally over said outlet opening spaced from said end wall to form a horizontal passage to said opening, a porous bottom wall pervious to gas inclined from the sides of said container above said end wall to contact with said end wall adjacent said outlet opening to form an air space between said walls, an inlet in said end wall to supply air under pressure to said space, and a plurality of vertically spaced baffie means spaced above said porous wall and sloping downwardly from the sides of said container toward said outlet opening but of less width than said porous wall to direct air with entrained material between said porous wall and baflle means to said horizontal passage.

6. A pneumatic, airtight container for pulverulent material and for gas under pressure, said container being of less height than its shortest transverse dimension and having an outlet opening spaced from the sides in its bottom end wall, a porous wall pervious to gas extending above said bottom end wall from adjacent said outlet opening to support pulverulent material and forming an air space between said walls, sheet baflie means extending from the side of said container toward said outlet opening and sloping downwardly toward said porous wall to provide a narrow passage between the inner edge of said bafile means and said porous wall, said container having an inlet to the space between said walls to supply gas under pressure, said baffle means directing gas under pressure from said space between the walls through said narrow passage to convey fluidized pulverulent material along said porous wall to said outlet opening.

7. A pneumatic container as claimed in claim 6, in which said bafile means includes a solid, impervious member directing air toward said outlet.

8. A pressurized container for fluidizing pulverulent material in said container in a gas under pressure, comprising a horizontally extending porous wall spaced above the bottom wall of said container for supporting said material, said container having a discharge opening adjacent the upper surface of said porous wall, said porous wall sloping from the sides of said container toward said discharge opening and an impervious sheet bafile means extending from the sides of said container horizontally and downwardly toward said porous wall and said discharge opening to closely adjacent said porous wall, said sheet baflie means forming a space adjacent the side walls of said container and below said pulverulent material and having its inner edge closely spaced from said porous wall to form a narrow, reduced passage, and means directing gas under pressure below said porous wall and to said space below said bafiie means, so that said gas passes upwardly through said porous wall to mix with material above said porous wall and the gas in said space below the baffle means passes out through the passage between said inner edge of said bafile means and said porous wall at a relatively high velocity to provide reduced pressure in a region above said passage and draw material above said bafile means into the stream of gas to entrain said material and to carry said entrained material with the mixed gas and material above said porous wall to and out of said discharge opening.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,125,913 8/1938 Goebels. 3,039,827 6/ 1962 Poundstone et a1. 30229 X 3,188,144 6/1965 Gmur et a1 222-195 X 3,194,443 7/1965 Gurney 222-193 3,268,264 8/1966 Squires 30229 FOREIGN PATENTS 671,667 5/1952 Great Britain.

ROBERT E. REEVES, Primary Examiner.

STANLEY H, TOLLBERG, Examiner. 

1. IN A SYSTEM FOR ROCKDUSTING IN A MINE, A WHEELED CARRIER FOR ENTRY INTO A MINE, AN AIRTIGHT PNEUMATIC CONTAINER FOR PULVERULENT MATERIAL ON SAID CARRIER SAID CONTAINER BEING OF LESS HEIGHT THAN ITS SHORTEST TRANSVERSE DIMENSION AND HAVING AN OUTLET OPENING THROUGH ITS BOTTOM END WALL, A POROUS WALL PERVIOUS TO GAS ABOVE SAID BOTTOM END WALL EXTENDING OUTWARDLY FROM ADJACENT SAID OUTLET OPENING TO SUPPORT SAID PULVERULENT MATERIAL, AND FORMING A SPACE WITH SAID END WALL, AND SHEET BAFFLE MEANS SPACED ABOVE SAID POROUS WALL SLOPING FROM THE SIDES OF SAID CONTAINER TOWARD SAID OUTLET OPENING ON OPPOSITE SIDES OF SAID OUTLET OPENING AND DIRECTING AIR FROM THE SPACE BENEATH SAID POROUS WALL BETWEEN SAID BAFFLE AND POROUS WALL TO SAID OUTLET WITH SAID MATERIAL ENTRAINED THEREIN, MEANS ON SAID CARRIER TO SUPPLY AIR UNDER PRESSURE TO SAID SPACE, SAID CONTAINER HAVING AN INLET LEADING TO SAID SPACE AND CONNECTED TO SAID MEANS TO SUPPLY AIR, AND A CONDUIT CONNECTED TO SAID OUTLET TO DIRECT AIR ENTRAINED MATERIAL WITHIN SAID MINE. 